Railroad



J. M. REID.

RRRRRRR D. i Patented Oct. 3., 1882. l

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JOHN M. REID, AOF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 265,538, dated October 3, 1882. v

Application filed February 20, 1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN M. REID, of the city and county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, in which- Figure l is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a crosssection of the rail and its ttings on linexzv of Fig. l. Fig.3 is a similar section through the joint of two abutting rails; Fig. 4,-a side View ofthe rail ends; and Fig.5 is a perspective of thejointstay.

In order that others may be enabled to discern between what is practiced and my improvements, I wish to state, first, that in the great hurry to get railroads built it has often happened that ties have been thrown down (on rough unprepared ground) to the number of three thousand per mile of single track, coutaining upward ot' ten thousand cubic feet rough unseasoned timber, the rails spiked to the ties without adjustment, so that men areA required daily to keep the road in workable order, the ties in their natural unseasoned state, often twisted and diflicult, it' not impossible, to make a smooth and lsubstantial railway of, after a great amount of trouble and attendance, causing great waste and expense; secondly,it has long been the practice to make elliptic or oval holes near the ends of rails, with corresponding holes in the fish-plates or side bars. Bolts are then put through both rails and ishplates, often preventing expansion and contraction.

The object of my invention is to produce a better railway, more reliable and safer than heretofore, without lateral or vertical motion, having the road-bed properly drained, and made smooth by heavy rollers or otherwise, so as to prevent ballast from sinking into and mixingwith the road-bed. Above such smooth and adjusted road-bed I lay down a substantial layer of firm ballast, which is also made smooth for the superstructure.

Instead of using and wasting so much timber in ties, as stated above, I do not use more than nine hundred ties per mile of single track; nor need they be more than seven feet long by live inches square,in wholelittleover and every matter which wastes iron should be scrupulouslyavoided. The preserved ties and cushions are then laid down and fastened to each other securely, so as to remain at exact gage or width for the rails. The crown or upper part of my rail A most subjected to friction I make deeper than usual and nearer to bed-plate or base g, which I make broader, drooping, and thinner at the outer edges, and with a lengthwise diaphragm, i, below to resist lateral pressure. 'Ihe rails are then easily laid down and fastened at or near middles through their bed-plates into or through the timber below.

My methodl of fastening rails at or near their m-iddles is to form a screw-threaded hole, a, through the base on each side, and above such hole place a stay-piece, B, as shown, said staypiece having a smooth hole corresponding with the hole athrough the rail-base. rIhe bolts are formed with a smooth neck, b, next under the head, a length equal to the thickness of the stay. 'Ihey are then screw-threaded a length equal to the thickness ot' the rail-base to screw into said base. rIhe main portioncof the bolt is threaded to screw into the beam C beneath the rail, and the lower end is threaded to enter a nut, d, sunk in the beam, as before described.

My safety stay-coupling consists in short pieces D of cast-steel or other suitable material, in substantially the form shown, (see Fig. 5,) itted and inserted in the abutting ends of the rails by dovetails or otherwise, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) so that when in place they will have no vertical or lateral play therein. The intermediate 'part of each such stay is cut out for about halt' its length, as at 7c, the web of the rail m, to which it is applied, being cut out to receive the remainder of said middle part, so that the ends of each rail and its stay-piece shall be flush and smooth. On each side ot' IOO the rail a semicircular recess or half-hole, n, is made through the rail-base and stay-piece at the end, said rccessesin the abutting rail ends and stay-piecesat a joint registering accurately, so as to form a hole to receive a bolt, which is threaded to enter into the beam beneath the rail, and at its extreme end to entera nut embedded in said beam.

My coupling prevents lateral and vertical motion ofthe rails, which are i'ree to contract and expand lengthwise. It is more reliable, lighter, cheaper, and safer than iish-plates and bolts new in use, which often prevent cntraction in rails during time of frost, thereby causing great loss of property.

In using mycoupling railsof unequal heights can be adjusted and made level on top by iilling-strips interposed between the rail and the timber-cushion.

Railroads made as hereinbefore described will be found cheaper in first cost, more durable, easily maintained, and safer than others. Less material and fewer workmen will be required for repairs, dangers will be reduced, and accidents avoided. The whole plant, stationary and movable, can be kept at much less cost, and will be safer and more comfortable for passengers.

Having thus described the nature, construction, and operation oi' my invention, I do not confine myself to their exact detail in every case.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a railway, the combination of the ties and beams, preserved as set forth, and the rails having the downwardly curved or drooping base-auges and the lengthwise diaphragm below the saule, as set forth.

2. A railroad-rail having curved or `drooping base-iianges and a central longitudinal diaphragm below said base,'as shown and described.

3. The herein-described middle fastening ot' the rails, consisting of the stays applied to the rail between the crown and the base, and the bolts applied substantially as shown and described.

4. The hereiirdescribed joint-fastening. consisting ot' the stay-pieces combined with the rails, substantially as described and shown, and having, with the rails,the registering half'` holes and the bolts, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof` I aliix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

Witnesses Lizzie NIELLIE, WM. D. GUNNINGHMI. 

